


Hollowed Ashes

by Leya



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Community: spnkink_meme, Humiliation, Light Torture, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-21
Updated: 2013-10-02
Packaged: 2017-12-06 01:12:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/729967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leya/pseuds/Leya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Castiel goes missing Sam and Dean will do everthing to find him. They track him down, trapped and hurt in the middle of nowhere. But when they set out to rescue him they find Gabriel also trapped and in even worse shape then Castiel. In the following weeks Sam nurses Gabriel back to health, slowly falling in love with him. But Gabriel is keeping a secret that might destroy their relationship before it even began.</p><p>Written for spnkink_meme. Full prompt inside.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Written for spnkink_meme for the following prompt: When Castiel goes missing Sam and Dean try to find him, eventually they do, in the back end of nowhere, trapped and unable to escape, anxious and worried about Gabriel, who he can sense in the building.  
> They go searching and find Gabriel trapped in another room somewhere else in the building, in worse shape than Castiel. They take him with them and nurse him back to health. Gabriel is twitchy and constantly anxious until Cas realises Gabriel is pregnant.  
> Now, drawing back on Gabriels stint as Loki, and the children he had, and the method of conception (with whatever creature you decide did this), he's afraid this child will be a monster like the others and that Sam and Dean will kill it, but he's too weak to actually get away from them.  
> Bonus for Gabriel actually showing up at the place Castiel was held prisoner of his own free will, because he might not be on any side, but he's not going to let anyone or anything rape one of his siblings, no matter who they are, and hey, it's happened to him before, so no big deal (only it sort of really, really is, but he's ignoring that for now), so he offers himself instead.
> 
>  
> 
> Takes place shortly after Changing Channels.
> 
> Unbeta'd.

+++

  
  
He shouldn’t have come alone.  
  
That much was obvious by now but the whispers of something ancient and vaguely familiar calling out to him had been too promising to ignore. He still had the hope to find his Father one day, to find a proof that He still cared, and so Castiel had followed the call, casting self-preservation and caution to the winds – just to end up imprisoned in the middle of nowhere.  
  
The spacious, brightly lit cellar was covered in numerous Enochian symbols, all of them strong enough to even keep Lucifer inside – provided he ever turned out to be stupid enough to get himself caught. The windowless walls built of big grey stones bore an unsettling resemblance to some of the prisons he had seen in heaven – although none of them were as strong as the one he currently was trapped in.  
  
As far as Castiel knew only God was powerful enough to create a trap like this. The thought brought a small smile to the angel’s lips and for the first time in months Castiel allowed himself to feel the renewed hope that maybe his search had led him to the right place after all.  
  
Of course his Father couldn’t be expected to allow a minor angel like Castiel to see his face. Even if he weren’t slowly changing into a human it would be completely inappropriate for him to expect a face to face encounter with his Father. He knew all too well that this privilege had only been granted to the archangels so far but he still could pray and maybe – _maybe_ \- this time he would receive an answer to his prayers.  
  
He was sure that triggering this particular trap had already been noticed. Now all he had to do was wait and see who was coming to get him out.  
  
And so he waited. Patiently at first because patience was one of the most cherished virtues in heaven but when the days passed by the flickering spark of hope deep in his chest withered bit by bit, slowly turning into frustration.  
  
Exactly two weeks after his imprisonment started Castiel found he couldn’t stand it any longer. Maybe he already was far more human than he had believed himself to be but the sheer need to just _do_ something became overwhelming, resulting in seemingly endless days of pacing the length of a room with no doors or windows, just walls he followed around and around and around.  
  
Hour after hour he kept going, meticulously searching for an opening, for the slightest crack in the seamless pattern of sigils covering every inch of the room. At one point he even started to crawl on his knees to take a closer look at the tiles covering the floor.  
  
And that was when he finally realised the real purpose of this particular trap.  
  
The young angel was in the middle of checking out the floor tiles in one of the corners when a sudden feeling of dizziness washed over him. Completely caught of guard by this unexpected reaction his vessel was showing Castiel fell forward, barely managing to brake his fall with one hand before he crashed face first into the floor.  
  
For long moments he just knelt there, breath coming in short, painful shallow gasps, leaving him disorientated and light-headed. Slowly, ever so slowly, the sudden feeling of nausea died down, his vessel’s bodily functions returning to normal – and then he saw it.  
  
One symbol. Just one small sign not fitting the pattern. Insignificant. Harmless. The symbol alone meant nothing, but...  
  
Castiel drew his hand back as if it had been burned, his eyes frantically searching the area around the odd little sign he had found.  
  
With a growing sense of dread he let his eyes follow a string of symbols, twisting over floor, wall and back to the floor again, his mind unconsciously translating the seemingly mindless signs into words so sinister and dark that his grace shuddered in deeply-felt horror.  
  
It was there. It really was there.  
  
Eyes still glued to the obscure symbols he scrambled backwards, instinctively trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the unholy signs mocking him with their mere existence.  
  
He didn’t know why he hadn’t seen them before, didn’t know why he hadn’t felt their gruesome emanations the moment he entered the room. Maybe it was because he was falling, because he was too naïve... whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.  
  
It was too late to change his fate.  
  
For the first time in his life he felt something akin to panic. He was alone. No-one knew where he had gone, no-one would come and get him out. He was alone in a trap set up to capture angels and all he could do was to wait until the magic of the forbidden symbols drained away the last of his energy, leaving him an easy prey for whatever would come and get him.


	2. Chapter 1

+++  
(1)

  
  
He was running,running like never before. His footsteps created a frantic rhythm on the wet pavement, expensive shoes carelessly splashing through pools of dark and muddy water but the man paid them no heed.  
  
Raindrops were obscuring his sight and he impatiently shook his head to clear his vision. He needed to get out of here, out of this death trap he had found himself in when he had wanted nothing more than to have a little bit of fun.  
  
 _What the hell had he done to deserve this...?_  
  
Darkness was closing in on him, black and distorted shadows menacingly snapping at his heels, while he sprinted towards the exit of the alleyway.  
  
Exhaustion caused him to stumble and for a short moment the painful beating of his heart drowned out everything else, breath coming in short, ragged gasps but an all-consuming fear burning deep inside his soul urged him on.  
  
 _Only a few more steps..._  
  
He already could see the street-lights of the main street and with his last ounce of strength he surged forward, throwing himself forward into safety.  
  
The screeching sound of tires disrupted the cold evening air, followed by the sickening thud of a body hitting the pavement.  
  
On the other side of the street a short man with dark blonde hair and honey coloured eyes folded his newspaper and strolled out of the café he had been sitting in for the last hour. Without sparing a single glance to the growing crowd surrounding the victim to his latest trick he rounded a corner, and with a small, satisfied smile gracing his lips, he snapped his fingers and vanished.  
  
  


+++

  
  
There was nothing like dishing out just deserts to those who deserved it.  
  
Gabriel felt extremely satisfied with himself. His latest trick had been perfect, crowned by a more than fitting ending for just another brutal asshole with a distinctive lack of conscience and intelligence.  
  
He still was smiling when he entered the dimly-lit pub at the other side of town he had chosen for his well-earned break from all the strenuous work he had thrown himself into since...  
  
...since his latest run-in with the Winchesters.  
  
Slowly Gabriel made his way over to the bar, determined to not let his good mood get ruined by the more than unpleasant memories of his big brothers obnoxious vessels. _Thank Dad_ they weren’t his problem. All he needed to do was to stay clear from those two yahoos from now on and everything would be fine.  
  
With this decision made Gabriel sauntered towards the bar, already feeling at ease again. From time to time the archangel enjoyed mingling with humans, their loud and sometimes troublesome behaviour a perfect distraction from all those things he preferred not to think about.  
  
Just like now.  
  
Those spiteful words the older Winchester had thrown at him had hit too close to home for his liking and Gabriel welcomed the prospect of letting himself go. There was a stool with his name on it, various types of alcohol waiting for him and when he was lucky there even might be a nice girl willing to...  
  
 _...pain..._  
  
...and Gabriel staggered forward, desperately trying to regain his footing. For long seconds he just stood there, the disturbing feeling that something was profoundly wrong still echoing through his mind. People brushed against him in the process of sidestepping the obstacle he had become in their way but he couldn’t care less. His whole being was focussed on finding the source of the short message he had received.  
  
"Hey, douchebag! You want to order something? If not I suggest you get your ass out of the way and stop blocking those who actually _want_ a drink!", a rough voice groused in his ear.  
  
Abruptly returning to the here and now Gabriel whirled around, his first instinct to smite the stupid bastard from the face of earth but common sense got the upper hand over taking care of someone who was nothing more than a stupid drunkard with a big mouth and arrogant attitude.  
  
He had far more important things to worry about. And so he just narrowed his eyes in barely constricted anger, deliberately ignoring the rude comment the asshole threw his way as he pushed past him and out of the door.  
  
The cool night air soothed his frayed nerves and Gabriel wasted no time in searching for a quiet corner right down the nearest dimly-lit alleyway.  
  
Leaning his back against the rough bricks of the wall behind him he closed his eyes. The uneasy feeling pooling deep inside his guts provided a rather irritating distraction but Gabriel was determined to find out what happened.  
  
The voice in his head had sounded familiar and so Gabriel unleashed a small amount of his grace to check on his children.  
  
Even after all those centuries since he left them behind in Scandinavia Gabriel still kept an eye out for them, constantly worried about their well-being.  
  
Fenrir... Hel... The archangel’s grace whispered against the minds of his children, checking each of them and finding nothing wrong. As far as he could tell Jörmungandr was asleep and Sleipnir... Gabriel quickly withdrew his grace, a mischievous smirk lingering on his lips as he left his son to his pastime.  
  
There was only so much a father needed to know about.  
  
Relieved that his children were all right Gabriel decided to check on his brothers. The vibes he received from heaven were steady and reassuring. Lucifer was, thankfully, at the other side of the earth right now. That only left the poor little angel responsible for his favourite yahoos.  
  
Gabriel tried to find his brother but there was... nothing. Castiel seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.  
  
Frowning the archangel unconsciously changed tracks. Carefully altering the signature of his grace until there was nothing angelic left he allowed the trickster to surface. Raw power, wild and completely different from the soft, warm glow of his grace surged out, sending a ripple of energy through the ether and earth answered his call by showing him the route his little brother had taken.  
  
 _...please no... stop..._  
  
Gabriel’s eyes snapped open, warm amber glowing in shock as he recognised his little brother’s whereabouts. His wings unfurled on their own accord and in a flurry of feathers he was gone.  
  
  


+++

  
  
Of course Castiel had to go and land himself in the worst predicament possible.  
  
Gabriel just couldn’t believe it. How the hell had he even found this place? It should have been completely invisible, hidden from angels and humans alike beneath impenetrable wards and countless spells.  
  
This place had been forgotten for millennia – who the hell had brought it back into reality? And – what was even more important – _why had someone changed the warding_?  
  
Gravel was crunching beneath his feet as he made his way over to the other side of the clearing. He carefully stepped around some bushes blocking his path and approached the grey stonewall of the square building looming up in front of him.  
  
For the first time in his life the archangel wasn’t sure what to do. All his instincts told him to turn around and get as far away from this dreaded place as possible, to flee and never come back. It would be the reasonable thing to do even if it meant to leave Castiel to his fate.  
  
 _But when had he ever listened to reason?_  
  
Whoever had tempered with the wards definitely knew what they were doing. The archangel studied the symbols covering the wall in front of him in determined concentration before he decided on a place he deemed harmless enough to touch.  
  
Brushing his fingertips against the rough stones he reached out for his brother’s grace. The outcome of his little test was devastating. At this rate death would come quickly for his little brother, the warding of the place far too heavy for an almost fallen angel to withstand for long and when he wanted to help Castiel he definitely had to hurry.  
  
Gabriel stepped back, mind still so intently focussed on his little brother, that he almost missed the footsteps approaching him from behind.  
  
The archangel tensed, readying himself for attack but the blade of an angelic sword pressed against his neck stopped him short.  
  
"You can’t help him, you know. There is no way in hell for you to get inside."   
  
The voice of his capturer sounded far too amused for Gabriel’s liking and before he could stop himself he had lashed out with his grace, intend on hurting the being that was trying to kill his little brother.  
  
Within seconds his grace was blocked, viciously twisted around and then his own power was flung right back at him.  
  
The backlash nearly rendered him unconscious and again he heard the amused chuckle of his capturer. A hand in his hair, fingers pulling at the soft strands, effectively keeping him in place. Ancient words were filling the air, words old and sinister and _hurting_ , cutting their way through the archangel’s mind right into his grace.  
  
For a long moment time seemed to stand still and then tendrils of dark and twisted energy were running through the veins of his vessel, burning him from the inside out. Screaming he curled himself into a small little ball, desperate to escape the excruciating pain flashing through his body.  
  
Finally it was over. The last thing he saw were the cold and unforgiving eyes of his capturer before his tortured mind was swallowed by blissful darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still searching the right name for my villain. When someone has a good idea please let me know. I'm open to suggestions.


	3. Chapter 2

+++

(2)

  
  
Gabriel woke to the unpleasant sensation of something cold and wet running over his face and neck and the distinctive feeling that something had gone awfully wrong.  
  
For a moment he just lay there, taking in the different sensations flooding his senses. The unexpected impression of hard, unrelenting earth underneath his vessel made him frown while his mind sluggishly tried to figure out what had happened.  
  
He had been playing a trick, it had been great and Gabriel felt proud enough of what he had achieved that he wanted to celebrate... and then… then…  
  
… _nothing_. His mind was absolutely blank.  
  
Confusion set in. The sensation of losing access to a part so vital and important was completely foreign to him and although Gabriel did his best to ignore the first stabs of worry nibbling at the back of his consciousness he couldn’t help but experience a rather unpleasant flash of foreboding.  
  
This was impossible. Nothing on this earth should be powerful enough to do this to an angel but here he was, hunting down reminiscences and fragments of his own memories and thoughts and despite all of his efforts he still got... nowhere.  
  
Within seconds confusion changed into full-blown panic, instinct quickly drowning the last shreds of reason, turning his thoughts into a scrambled mess of broken memories and haywire emotions.  
  
Struggling against the foreign texture clouding his mind Gabriel focussed his grace, prodding and pushing and pulling, desperately clawing at the thick barrier blocking him but whatever he tried, countering each and every move with an almost laughable lack of effort.  
  
Frustrated Gabriel gathered all his strength for one last try, throwing every ounce of his power forward. The barrier budged, strained to its limits and the archangel punched against the thinning surface until it suddenly gave way with a sickening snap.  
  
The release of his memories overwhelmed him and all Gabriel could do was to hold on until – _pain, alone –_ the fragments tumbling through his brain _\- brother, help –_ settled and with a terrified gasp Gabriel sat up.  
  
The abrupt movement made his stomach churn and Gabriel quickly pressed the back of his hand against his mouth to prevent himself from vomiting.  
  
For what seemed like an eternity he just sat there while bit by bit his senses returned. For the first time in his existence he felt _exhausted_. The archangel definitely wasn’t used to feel as if his vessel had been put through the mill but right now his body was nothing but a pile of bruised flesh and hurting muscles.  
  
Groaning he slowly lifted his hand and rubbed over his forehead until he finally scraped up enough energy to open his eyes, staring blankly into the steel grey sky above him.  
  
At least this explained the rain soaking his clothes.  
  
Blinking away the heavy raindrops clinging to his lashes he heaved a sigh. Right at the moment he was too tired to even think straight but now that his memories had returned Gabriel was all too aware of the fact that Castiel needed his help.  
  
Gabriel staggered to his feet and looked around. He was in the middle of nowhere, seemingly completely alone in a vast and barren wilderness.  
  
Of course. How could he have thought he would be lucky enough to still be in the pocket dimension Castiel actually was held captive in? Now he had to force his way back to a hostile environment controlled by a powerful creature just waiting for those stupid enough to deliver themselves straight into its greedy paws.  
  
Well, no need to stall the inevitable.  
  
Arms stretched out to both sides Gabriel channelled his power, causing a rift in reality and with one last deep breath he stepped through.  
  
  


+++

  
  
Indulging in his favourite pastime was something Ewan had cultivated over the centuries. It was a rather fine art, with him staying entirely hidden from sight, watching from out of the shadows while he consumed the delicious flow of energy provided by his prey.  
  
His latest victim had proved to be rather useful so far and he often lost himself in daydreams of those piercing blue eyes he had glimpsed before the angel lost consciousness.  
  
A longing sigh escaped his lips and Ewan leaned forward to place one hand on the soft dark hair of his captive, losing himself in the sensation of silken strands gliding through his fingers. How he would love to explore, to unwrap layer after layer of those ridiculous clothes to reveal the beautiful body hidden beneath.  
  
The thought alone made his mouth water but it was too soon to release his angel. Better to wait until...  
  
Abruptly his focus shifted, drawing him to one of the wards keeping this place hidden from reality.  
  
 _What the...?_  
  
Eyes widened in disbelief Ewan watched another stubborn little angel forcing his way back into his realm.  
  
For a moment his whole world froze in shock but then curiosity won over. Never before had someone managed to get rid of whatever spell he put on them and the fact that this particular angel not only retained his memories but also found a way back intrigued him.  
  
Gently patting the head of his prey goodbye, Ewan left the cellar, quickly making his way over to the other angel that had managed to capture his attention.  
  
  


+++

  
  
Sometimes Gabriel got this itching feeling right between his shoulder blades where his wings connected with his vessel. It was the unmistakable sign that someone was watching him and when he entered the now well-known clearing the archangel carefully scanned his surroundings, certain to be attacked any time now.  
  
Gabriel hadn’t been sure how to proceed but decided to avoid another confrontation at all costs – at least until he knew exactly what he was dealing with. And so he stopped right in front of the building and slowly held out his hands, keeping his posture as harmless and non-threatening as possible.  
  
"I know that you are watching. Please show yourself. I just want to talk to you."  
  
There was no answer and Gabriel felt his hopes crumbling. His brother’s grace was calling out to him and it was week, so terrible weak. Castiel was almost out of time and his own helplessness pained Gabriel more than he ever would admit.  
  
"I’m not here to fight. Just let us talk. Please."  
  
A small spark of annoyance flickered through his mind but the archangel quickly squished it. Every fibre of his being screamed with the need to pass judgement on the creature responsible for endangering his little brother but right now he had to play nice – at least as long as the changed warding prevented him from entering the building.  
  
Minutes ticked by and Gabriel found himself getting nervous. The trickling sensation of foreign eyes watching him, weighing, accessing his every move, made him feel like a butterfly in a showcase and his mind happily provided several horrifying scenarios with the thought of being pinned down and put on display the most prominent. It made his wings twitch by sending an involuntary shudder down his spine.  
  
A light chuckle was all the warning he got before a cold hand closed around his neck, pushing him forward until he collided with the rough stones in front of him.  
  
"Why did you come back? I gave you a chance to walk away unharmed but you just couldn’t leave it alone", the cold silken voice of the being hissed into his ear and again Gabriel couldn’t suppress a shudder. "There must be something you want. So tell me, why are you here?"  
  
Slowly Gabriel turned his head, careful not to provoke another outburst. He couldn’t see much just the hand on his shoulder keeping him in place. It looked human. He filed away this information for later use. Right now he had to save his little brother.  
  
"I’m here to free the angel you’ve captured."  
  
This gained him an unamused laugh. "Not really successful, aren’t you?"  
  
"Maybe not. But you’re at an unfair advantage", Gabriel quipped back, instinctively relying on his trickster-persona. He quickly suppressed it, though. The trickster would only complicate things unnecessarily. "Mind if I turn around? Talking face to face is so much nicer, don’t you think?"  
  
At first he thought he might have made it worse but then the grip around his neck loosened and Gabriel quickly took the opportunity to push himself back and turn around.  
  
The creature looked... astonishingly nondescript.  
  
Gabriel blinked in surprise at what seemed to be a mere human being. Tall, slender, dark-blonde hair. He even wore a tailored suit with an elegant tie and matching shoes. The whole appearance seemed so surreal and utterly out of place that the archangel for one moment believed to be hallucinating.  
  
"Not what you expected, am I right?"  
  
"No, it’s... fine." The archangel bit his tongue, forcefully swallowing the scathing comment lingering in his mouth. Instead he smiled albeit a little bit strained. It didn’t go unnoticed. The creature answered his smile with an equal false twist of his lips, revealing two rows of sharp, dangerously glinting teeth.  
  
"Enough of these useless pleasantries." Every trace of amusement was gone, eyes hard and cold as ice, fixing Gabriel with an unforgiving stare. "I’m sure you have noticed that I’m the only one that can enter my little hideout. Killing me will get you nowhere."  
  
"I’m not here to kill you."  
  
"Careful, angel. Lying is a sin."  
  
"I’m not lying." The archangel answered calmly, trying to soothe the other being with unadulterated honesty. "If there were the slightest chance for me to kill you and get my brother out of here I wouldn’t have wasted my time by talking to you. But I can’t and so all I can do is begging you to let him go."  
  
"No."  
  
Gabriel gritted his teeth. He wasn’t used to suppress the pagan part of his personality and the trickster definitely was fed up with acting all friendly and sweet and _angelic_. He inhaled deeply before he brought his grace down sharply, extinguishing the trickster with one merciless stroke.  
  
He felt a short twinge of regret for the being that had been part of him for so long but the trickster would never have been able to follow through with what he had planned to do next.  
  
"You can’t do that, Ewan."  
  
The being stopped short, eyes narrowed in reluctant admiration. "You’re powerful, I give you that. But I won’t let your brother go. Why would I do that? He’s exactly what I want."  
  
Suddenly everything made sense and Gabriel felt sick to the bone when he thought of what was about to happen to his innocent little brother. Sweet, inexperienced Cas, awkward little angel trapped in a fragile human body...  
  
The archangel swallowing hard, closing his eyes for one brief moment before he determinedly straightened himself. "Let me take his place."  
  
"Don’t be ridiculous", Ewan shook his head in mock disapproval. "You’re not as pretty as your brother by far. Why should I take you instead?"  
  
For a moment Gabriel didn’t know what to answer. Embarrassed he lowered his head, stoically ignoring the cruel laughter washing over him.  
  
"My, my. Look at you. All flustered and riled up but you can’t do anything to stop me."  
  
The words were a stinging, pricking pain in his heart and although his face still felt hot he refused to give up and so he slowly fell to his knees, obsequiously lowering his head.  
  
"I can make myself more appealing to you." Gabriel slowly changed his appearance until he looked just like a slightly smaller version of Castiel.  
  
Ewan gasped and leaned forward, eagerly taking in every nuance, every difference. "I never have seen an angel like you. What the hell are you?"  
  
"I’m an archangel. I can be whoever you want me to be. Let him go and I’ll do everything you want." Still on his knees Gabriel willed his wings into existence and leaned forward, placing both hands on the earth. A short moment of hesitation and then he slowly, deliberately stretched out his wings in an open display of submission.  
  
Such extraordinary power... Ewan unconsciously licked his lips, eyes gleaming in an undeniable mixture of lust and hunger. This one surely would taste like heaven.  
  
"Fine. Let’s say I accept your offer." Ewan stepped back, gesturing for Gabriel to get up as well. "I’m letting your brother go but first I want to check the merchandise."  
  
Understanding all too well Gabriel slowly shrugged out of his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt. Piece after piece hit the earth and with every layer gone he closed himself more and more off into the farthest corner of his mind.  
  
He knew from experience what would happen now.  
  
"Bend over."  
  
Bracing himself against the well-known pain...  
  
"Spread your cheeks."  
  
...Gabriel closed his eyes...  
  
"Tight. I like that."  
  
...and told himself...  
  
"Such a pretty little angel."  
  
...that it would be over soon.  
  
Nothing what happened to his body was of importance. Nothing... at... all...  
  
  


+++

  
  
Castiel was lost in his memories.  
  
Sometimes he dreamed of heaven, of all the millennia he had felt so sure of the love his Father and the other angels had given him. Sometimes he remembered earth, just a few months but they changed him more then heaven ever could.  
  
His dreams were all he had to keep himself from giving in to the pain he was feeling every time his mysterious capturer drank from him, a pain so raw and terrifying like he had never experienced before.  
  
Today’s dream was even more pleasant then the previous one. Gabriel’s presence was a soft whisper against his weakened grace, soothingly reviving the long forgotten feeling of solidarity they had shared when they were young. The warmth of his brother’s grace was a bright, happy spark inside him and Castiel curled up around the wonderful feeling of home. 


	4. Chapter 3

+++  
(3)

  
  
Something must have gone wrong.  
  
Sam was sure that his brother thought exactly the same way about their angel's prolonged absence, if Dean's sudden abstractedness was an indication of the emotions bottled up deep inside him, but of course Dean would never, not in a million years, openly confess how much Castiel's disappearance worried him and so, in best Winchester tradition, his big brother continued to pretend that everything was fine.  
  
Unfortunately with a job as demanding as theirs even the slightest distractions could prove fatal and Dean soon found himself at the receiving end of a rather severe beating after missing all the, rather obvious, signs of a ghost creeping up behind him.  
  
"Here." Sam handed over the icepack and Dean took it, pressing it against his swollen face in silent relief. They were back at the motel after Sam finally had managed to set the bones on fire causing the ghost to go up in flames as well. "You know you just could have thrown your gun away. Would have spared the ghost the unnecessary trouble to disarm you before it got to you."  
  
If looks could kill Sam most probably would have ended up a smouldering pile of ash there and then.  
  
Grinning the younger Winchester returned to his laptop, mind already set on his next move. "You can’t go on like this. Sooner or later you’ll get yourself killed."  
  
Refusing to fall for the obvious baiting Dean pressed his lips into a thin line and without sparing Sam a further glance he retreated to his bed, throwing himself face-first into the cushions.  
  
"Why can’t you just admit that you’re just as worried as I am? I thought Cas’ is your friend."  
  
Dean stilled for a moment before he got up again, icepack clutched in one hand, clearly at the end of his rope thanks to Sam’s constant nagging. "For heaven’s sake, Sammy! He’s most probably following a new lead in his search for God."  
  
"He should have joined us four weeks ago."  
  
"What do you want me to do? Drive around the country on the off chance that someone somewhere has seen an awkward little angel in a trenchcoat? Or wait, maybe we can call Raphael or even Michael. I’m sure they’ll be happy in assisting us to find him."  
  
Sam rolled his eyes at the blatant sarcasm colouring his brother’s voice and pushed the laptop aside. "I think we should try to find him."  
  
"I already told Bobby to call should Cas show up. We just have to wait."  
  
"Aren’t you worried?"  
  
Groaning in annoyance Dean buried his face back into the icepack, using the blue plastic bag as a shield against his brother’s too knowing eyes.  
  
"Dean."  
  
Just his name but Sam sounded so terribly understanding and Dean knew he was lost the moment he looked up, meeting his brother’s sympathetic gaze.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Of course he was worried. Ever since the angel didn’t turn up to their arranged meeting at Bobby’s Dean got a funny feeling about the whole situation, a feeling he just couldn’t get rid of and hearing that his little brother shared his concerns made it impossible for him to deceive himself any longer.   
  
Something had happened. It wasn’t unusual for Castiel to vanish for several days and sometimes even one or two weeks but until now had kept every appointment with dependable precision. This time though...   
  
Dean closed his eyes, the soothing cold seeping into his skin barely able to calm him down.  
  
First he had thought that Castiel found a new lead in his search for God but when the days turned into weeks and there still was no sign from the angel Dean started to worry. Praying brought no response and although Dean would have preferred to wait until Castiel showed up he knew that they had a job to do, people were dying, and so they had moved on, leaving Bobby behind with the instruction to call the moment he got hold of Castiel and then he and Sam were on the road again. But he definitely had his mind on other things and that almost got him killed.  
  
"What do you suggest we do now?"  
  
Sam looked up from the cell phone in his hand. "I already sent a message. He’ll be here shortly."    
  
  


+++

  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
To say that Dean wasn’t a happy camper would have been an understatement but Sam refused to back down.  
  
"He can help us."  
  
"Crowley? Seriously?" Dean narrowed his eyes at his brother who bitchfaced him in return.  
  
"Yes, I’m serious. It’s not as if we have that many options here." The younger Winchester clearly wasn’t in the mood to discuss his decision. "Besides... we already have come to an agreement."  
  
"What?" Dean couldn’t believe it. "Don’t tell me... haven’t you learned anything after all those..."  
  
"I’m not stupid, Dean", his brother interrupted him harshly. "I didn’t make deal. We just reached an... agreement."  
  
"Agreement, my ass. Have we ever met a demon who was content with just a mere agreement? Those things screw you over so fast it makes your head spin and you talk about _agreements_?"  
  
Sam did his best to ignore the sarcasm – _again –_ and kept his tone as calm and rational as possible _._ "He can help us."  
  
"Help? Are you kidding me?"  
  
"No, he's not _kidding_ you, as you so eloquently put it." Crowley suddenly added his two cents into the conversation. "Finding your angel won’t be a problem. As long as I am adequately compensated, of course."  
  
Dean’s head whipped around so fast he nearly pulled a muscle. For long seconds he just stared at the demon sitting far too casually on their couch for his liking. Crowley ignored him for a little bit longer, eyeing the dirty upholstery with poorly hidden disgust.  
  
"The hell did _you_ get in here?"  
  
"I used the door, Winchester." The demon smiled almost serenely, enjoying the almost instant expression of pure rage flickering over Dean's face.  
  
"Stop this nonsense." Sam pushed his brother back until he sat down at the table on the other side of the room before he turned around, pinning the demon with an annoyed glare. "We agreed on an exchange of information, Crowley. Picking on Dean isn’t part of this settlement. Or have you forgotten that there is something you're basically _dying_ to know?"  
  
"Alright, alright." Holding up his hands in mock surrender Crowley got up from the couch, approaching the younger hunter with two quick strides. Suddenly he was all business, all traces of amusement gone from his features.  
  
"I'll be back in two weeks with the location of your angel. I expect to be paid immediately."  
  
Sam nodded his consent and without further preamble Crowley sized his collar, pulling the hunter into a rough kiss before vanishing into thin air.  
  
"Care to elaborate?" Arms crossed in front of his chest Dean was looking at his younger brother with a look in his eyes that only could be described as murderous. "What the hell did you promise him?"  
  
Quickly wiping his mouth Sam turned around, a smug grin plastered over his face. "He will tell us where we can find Cas and in reaction to his information I will tell him everything he needs to know to, hopefully successful, woo Bobby."  
  
Dean blinked, clearly too stunned to say something. His brother waited patiently and when the message finally sank in he quickly joined Dean in a hysterical fit of laughter.  
  
  


+++

  
  
It took eight days for Crowley to show up again.  
  
While they waited for the demon to return Sam had had enough time to reconcile his brother with the fact that calling Crowley and ordering him to go on a search for Castiel had been an absolutely reasonable decision and definitely wasn’t a sign that Sam once again had started to bond with their enemy.  
  
Dean currently was sitting on his bed, distracting himself by cleaning his favourite gun with practised movements while his brother prowled the internet in search for a new job, equally anticipating and fearing the moment Crowley would return to keep his promise.  
  
The older Winchester was completely lost in his thoughts, envisioning Cas’ possible fate in thousand different, terrible scenarios. At first self-deception had been easy by telling himself over and over again that Castiel, even if falling, still was a fairly powerful being. But week after week without a sign of his friend had made it harder and harder to delude himself and now he was a wreck, nervous and worried and all to aware of how fragile all their lives were, of how little time they had and he didn’t even...  
  
A whoosh of air made him look up expectantly – and immediately wished he hadn’t.  
  
Just like he had promised Crowley was back but the look on his face... Suddenly Dean felt sick. He threw Sam a quick glance and realised that his brother had seen it too. Swallowing hard he placed the gun on the bed and decided to face the truth.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
The demon sighed and ran his hand over his face. For the first time since they had made his acquaintance Crowley seemed unusually distraught.  
  
"You won’t like this", he warned the hunter but Dean couldn’t stand this uncertainty any longer and urged him on.  
  
"Spill it."  
  
"Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you."  
  
Sam frowned, feeling slightly irritated by Crowley’s hesitant behaviour. "Where is he?"  
  
Crowley gestured helplessly, obviously not sure how to proceed. Finally he sighed and tried to smile but all he managed was a grimace.  
  
"It seems as if Castiel somehow got himself trapped in one of the cages."  
  
For a moment both hunters just blinked in confusion, sure that they hadn’t heard that one right. Finally Sam recovered enough to ask.  
  
"Cage _s_? As in more than one?"  
  
"What can I say? God is nothing but creative when it comes to disciplining his children. When he first created the archangels he gave them so much power that they easily could have torn the universe apart. As legend has it there must have been several rather unpleasant incidents and... well, let’s just say God became cautious and decided to invent a little...incentive. You know, behave and follow my orders or you’ll earn yourself a few millennia of solitary confinement. It worked until the day Lucifer threw all caution to the winds and rebelled."  
  
At this point Crowley started pacing and both hunters watched him walk to and fro over the worn out carpet.  
  
"Why is Castiel even still alive?" When two sets of eyes focussed on him Sam just shrugged. "I mean, those cages surely are under constant observation and someone getting trapped is bound to alert the guards. And we all know that heaven wants to see him dead."  
  
Suddenly completely enthralled with the ugly wallpaper on the opposite side of the room the demon thoughtfully gnawed on his bottom lip before he, albeit a little bit hesitantly, relented.  
  
"The cages are a well-guarded secret. The younger angels don’t know about them and the archs are more than happy to stay away from the only thing that can condemn them to eternal imprisonment."  
  
"If it’s such an enormous secret how come you of all people know about it?"  
  
Crowley shot Sam an angry glare but answered nonetheless. "You don’t need to know that. Believe me when I tell you that they exist and that your angel is trapped in one of them."  
  
"Okay." Dean still had a hard time to wrap his mind around the fact that there was more than one cage. "Let’s say we believe you. About how many cages are we talking here? Three, four or more?"  
  
"What did I tell you just a minute ago?" The demon all but snarled at him and Dean blinked in surprise at the sudden outburst. "Four archangels, four cages. Each of them strong enough to keep them locked up for eternity. Each of them placed on one of the four planes of existence."  
  
"Planes of existence?", the younger Winchester asked, curiously leaning forward. His brother rolled his eyes at this obvious display of nerdiness.  
  
For a long moment it seemed as if Crowley considered to flat out refuse to answer but then he inhaled sharply and continued. "Heaven, hell, earth, purgatory."  
  
Sam caught on. "Lucifer’s cage is in hell. And Castiel somehow got trapped in the cage here on earth."  
  
"That’s correct." Crowley walked over to the small kitchen unit and opened the fridge. He almost incredulously stared at the meagre supplies in front of him before he finally grabbed a bottle of beer and returned to the couch. "Don’t you have anything decent to drink?"  
  
"Don’t like, don’t drink", was all Dean said to the matter and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Where can we find this cage?"  
  
Crowley’s lips were pressed into a thin line but instead of responding he just placed the bottle at his mouth and swallowed its contents in a few big gulps.  
  
"I was able to locate it in the Northern part of Utah or, more precisely, near the Great Salt Lake Desert."  
  
"Fine, let’s go." Dean was already up and almost out of the door before Sam even had the chance to voice his concerns.  
  
"Wait." Sam was as eager as Dean to finally be able to help their friend but his instincts told him that it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. One look at Crowley’s unhappy face confirmed his suspicions. "There is something he’s not telling us."  
  
Crowley placed the now empty bottle on the floor and leaned back into the cushions. "I doubt it very much that you’ll be able to even get near to the cage. I can show you where it is, but it’s impossible to access."  
  
"I thought you were the king of the crossroads?"  
  
The demon’s eyes narrowed dangerously but instead of killing Dean on the spot he smiled complacently and shook his head.  
  
"There’s something blocking my abilities to enter the pocket dimension the cage is located in. Who- or whatever it is doesn’t want us to drop by and disturb their party."  
  
"Great." Dean closed his eyes and thought of the little angel that somehow had wormed his way into their lives by becoming at first a good friend and slowly, step by step, had turned into a member of their family.  
  
"Just tell us where to find the entrance. We’ll find a way to get inside." Sam suddenly was right next to his brother, one hand closed around Dean’s arm in silent support. Thankful Dean returned the gesture by furtively touching Sam’s back.  
  
"Aw... look at this wonderful display of brotherly love and concern." Crowley all but cooed at them and got to his feet. "I kept my part of the bargain and now I demand my payment."  
  
Dean shot his brother one short, amused glance and quickly disentangled himself from Sam’s grasp and ignoring his brother’s plea for help he fled into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fought me tooth and nail. My muse and I wrangled about almost every single sentence and I'm still not one hundred percent happy *sigh* Well, I hope there are no gaps in plot and/or logical structure.
> 
> I changed the timeline a little bit so Crowley and Bobby have already met.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is most probably a little bit boring but I needed a part of Ewan's past out of the way. This chapter also contains torture (nothing overly graphic).

+++

(4)

  
  
Humming lightly Ewan poured himself a glass of wine and sipped the blood-red substance with great relish. While the cold liquid ran down his throat he closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of complete and utter satisfaction.  
  
For the first time in centuries the burning hunger permanently gnawing on his insides was gone. To finally be free from this terrible pain felt like heaven to him and all it had taken was the energy of the right kind of angel.  
  
Who would have thought the solution for his problem to be characterized by such an… elegant easiness?  
  
Slowly Ewan made his way over to the other side of the room, approaching the spacious bed with purposeful determination. Burying one hand in the soft brownish strands of the angel's hair Ewan realised that he had been wrong when he said that this angel wasn't as pretty as the other one. By now he looked more than beautiful, lithe body laid out for Ewan to feast his eyes on, emphasizing his unrestricted ownership by numerous cuts and bruises covering the pale skin.  
  
For long minutes he just stood there, fingers still idly playing with the soft hair of his unconscious captive, while his mind involuntarily wandered back to the time he still had been nothing but a mere hunter. Although no-one would believe it now – Ewan of Warwick once had been a hunter, born in the last decade of the 12th century he followed his father's footsteps in hunting down supernatural creatures, taking on the task with ferocity. Soon he was known as one of the most successful hunters and people looked up at him with fear and admiration.  
  
He had more than most others ever could even dream of but somehow it never was enough.  
  
All his life Ewan lived with an undefined desire burning inside him, a desperate hunger that left him longing for... _more_. But as much as he tried to satisfy this hunger, all his attempts had proven futile. There always was this little part inside his soul nothing seemed able to fill and so year after year went by, leaving him more and more discontented. The prolonged discontentment made him restless, aggressive even and soon those who had once admired him now avoided him at all costs.  
  
Ewan paid them no heed. Instead he continued on his task of freeing the world of the forces of evil and although he killed every supernatural creature that crossed his path his life still felt unfulfilled. It wasn’t after he survived a trap set up by a demon that he finally understood. The demon had so much power... it was incredible.  
  
And Ewan wanted that for himself.  
  
But how to achieve that... he just had no clue. Making a deal was out of question. He definitely wasn’t keen on ending up in hell after a few short years. No, he wanted more, wanted to be indestructible, to be strong. He wanted to be immortal.  
  
Ironically it was just another supernatural being, or more precisely the killing of said being, that triggered his mind. It was so easy that Ewan wondered why he never before thought about it. While watching the Wendigo go up in flames Ewan realised that he just needed to follow in the creatures footsteps. But instead of eating humans his mind set on consuming his supernatural prey. Of course he didn’t know what would happen to him but everything was better than to continue his life like this.  
  
Decision made he immediately put his plan in action. His next hunt brought him a vampire to kill and when it was lying dead at his feet Ewan brought his knife down, cutting a large chunk of flesh out of the still warm body and without the slightest hesitation he buried his teeth into the bloody meat. After that it was simple. Ewan kept hunting and eating, taking in all the supernatural beings and it worked. He got faster, he grew stronger. The next step in his transformation came as a surprise, though.  
  
Ewan just finished his latest meal when he felt a movement nearby. The following attack was staved off rather quickly and within seconds he had the werewolf's mate pinned helplessly underneath him. Raising his silver knife to take care of it he suddenly felt the sudden urge to press his mouth against the wolf's snout, sharply inhaling the creature's life-energy.  
  
It was like a revelation.  
  
At first everything was fine but bit by bit he became aware of the downside of his new existence. His desire to become more than he originally was, was finally satisfied but now his insides were churning with hunger from a completely different type.  
  
Speaking of which…  
  
This beautiful creature was splayed out for him to use and Ewan intended to take full advantage of the fact that it was completely at his mercy. He slid between the spread legs of his prey, for a short moment allowing himself to enjoy the breathtaking sight in front of him before abruptly pushing two fingers inside the angel’s tight hole, almost immediately scissoring them experimentally. No need to break it in again. Feeling rather content when the silken channel accommodated quite easily to his thorough probing he slightly backed away and opened his trousers.  
  
Pushing the angel's hair aside Ewan leaned forward, mouth trailing over his captive's neck before hungrily latching onto the pulse frantically beating beneath the soft skin. Almost immediately he stilled every movement, not wanting to distract himself from the pleasure of consuming his angel's energy, at least not till he was sated. With a final lick over the abused skin of the angel's neck Ewan propped himself up, bringing his mouth down on the angel's mouth in a harsh demanding kiss.  
  
Beneath him Gabriel startled awake, golden eyes filled with an exciting mixture of panic and fear and without warning Ewan surged forward burying to the hilt inside his angel's body with one vicious thrust.  
  
The strangled cry of his prey sounded like music to his ears and as an answer Ewan picked up speed, slamming into Gabriel’s warm pliant body with rough unforgiving thrusts. The tears in his angel’s eyes caused him to groan, the white hot desire to possess, take, _mine, mine, mine,_ drowning everything else and for long minutes there was nothing but his ragged breath and the punishing rhythm of his hips. Finally he orgasmed, warm release flooding his angel’s insides.  
  
Still slightly out of breath Ewan straightened himself. His member came free with a soft wet-sliding sound and he sat back on his heels, silently admiring the strings of come trickling down the angel’s thighs.  
  
"Beautiful... you are so beautiful like this..."  
  
Embarrassed Gabriel turned his head to the side, not wanting to give Ewan the satisfaction to see how much this affected him but the former hunter would have none of it and with a warning hiss he clenched the angel’s chin in a firm grip, mercilessly forcing him to answer his gaze.  
  
"Don’t you dare ignoring me, pretty. You won’t like what I’d do to that brother of yours should I ever get the impression you weren’t as attentive as I expect you to be."  
  
It took a few seconds before the meaning of Ewan’s words sank in but then the archangel stared at the being above him in utter shock.  
  
"You lied to me." Gabriel couldn’t believe it. How could he have been this gullible? He of all people should have known that Ewan wouldn’t just let them go. Not when he had two angels at his disposition. He should have known better. Humiliated by the fact that he had been incredible stupid Gabriel felt his face burn with red-hot embarrassment. Somewhere out there someone surely laughed his ass off over the undeniable irony of the trickster finally getting the just deserts he so obviously deserved.  
  
"Castiel is still here. You bastard lied to me!" Gabriel helplessly struggled against the handcuffs that chained his hands to the headboard but instead of breaking free he only managed to hurt himself. Deep red bruises were forming on his wrists and his senseless efforts made Ewan smile cruelly.  
  
"Language, angel. I suggest you tread carefully." Ewan sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Gabriel intently. "I never said that you were an appropriate substitute for your brother. I agreed to let him go after I checked the merchandise and _found it satisfactory_."  
  
He touched Gabriel’s face with his fingertips, trailing lightly over his lips and neck before he buried his hands into the soft flesh of the angels neck, closing his hand in a choking grip.  
  
"And now let me lay down a few rules, pretty." Ewan tightened his grip and before Gabriel even realised what happened he found Castiel’s sword pressed against his throat. A thin trail of blood dripped out of the shallow cut that appeared beneath the blade and ran down the angel’s chest. Gabriel flinched involuntarily but the knowledge that his death would condemn his brother to end up in his place got Gabriel to keep as still as possible.  
  
"I’m the one in charge." Ewan caressed the soft skin on the angel’s cheek with the blade of the sword, a look of pure lust in his eyes. "You won’t call me names or question my authority. Ever."  
  
The blade moved lower, trailing over his neck and shoulder, idly circling his left nipple.  
  
"Have I made myself clear?"  
  
Gabriel swallowed hard and nodded wordlessly, eyes fixed on the blade still drawing seemingly meaningless patterns on his skin. The former hunter stared at him with cold and lifeless eyes as if to gauge his intentions and suddenly Gabriel knew what was about to happen.  
  
"Don’t..." He pleaded desperately but Ewan only laughed at him and the next thing he felt was the pain of the sword cutting its way through the skin on his chest.  
  
"You talked back to me, pretty. I can’t tolerate this insubordination."  
  
The blade came down again and again. Ewan lost himself in a frenzy, slicing over the angel’s ribcage, stomach, thighs. The blade left burning marks in its wake, slowly turning Gabriel’s world into a sea of cruel red pain. His whole being was ripped apart by this creature’s heartlessness.  
  
It seemed to go on for eternity.  
  
When it finally was over it wasn’t until Ewan gently wiped his tears away that Gabriel noticed that he had started crying.  
  
"Shhh... don’t cry, pretty. These injuries aren’t life-threatening. You can endure so much more than that." Ewan placed his hand on one particular deep cut on the angel’s stomach his fingers teasingly playing with the countless rivulet’s of blood marring the pale skin. He listened indifferently to Gabriel’s grief-stricken moan and leaned in a little bit further to observe the despair in pain-filled golden eyes.  
  
"No..." Gabriel coughed, a thin trail of blood dripping down his chin. Ewan snatched it with his finger and licked it off, face contorted in undisguised pleasure.  
  
"Delicious..." He licked his lips and seemed to think about tasting another sample but then he considered and without warning he closed his hand around the angel’s testicles, squeezing them with brutal force.  
  
The angel whimpered and Ewan decided to take this enticing little game a step further.  
  
"Your wings, Gabriel. Show them to me."  
  
Gabriel shook his head, panicked at the thought of granting this monster access to his most intimate parts. Angel’s wings were never to be touched by anyone other than their mate, even another angel accidentally brushing against them was seen as an act of transgression.  
  
"Tststs... seems as if you forgot the rules again, darling." Ewan smiled almost happily and raised Castiel’s sword, openly admiring the bloodstained blade. "But to show you that I’m a reasonable person I let you choose. Either you give me what I want, willingly, or your little brother will find out what it feels like to get fucked with his own sword."  
  
He could see the exact moment the angel’s resistance crumbled, pain replaced by an exciting mix of deeply felt horror and resignation and Ewan couldn’t help but smile at the eagerness Gabriel displayed his wings with. Humming lightly he buried his hand into the soft feathers of one amber coloured wing, letting his fingers trail through the feathers.  
  
"Do you know the legend says that the wings of an angel are even more sensitive than the wings of a bird?" Ewan playfully tugged at the brown-golden flight feathers of Gabriel’s right wing.  
  
The archangel shuddered and the former hunter laughed, leaning forward in anticipation. "What do you think? Will it hurt to get them clipped?", he mused thoughtfully, enjoying the desperate understanding rising in his angel’s eyes.  
  
His fingers closed around a bundle of feathers.  
  
"No ...please..."  
  
"You don’t need them any more anyway", he stated coldly, immediately twisting his hand, feathers coming free with a violent jolt. The warm light of shed grace filled the room and Ewan grinned contentedly. Letting the feathers fall aside carelessly he stretched out his hand again.  
  
This time the angel’s scream echoed from the walls of his chamber.  
  
  


+++

  
  
For the first time in what seemed to be an eternity Castiel was wide awake and completely coherent.  
  
He was lying on the hard stone floor of a room he had never seen before, smaller than the last one and not so heavily warded, the angel finally managed to overcome the bone-deep exhaustion weighing down his vessel and slowly rolled over, shakily climbing to his feet.  
  
To his surprise the being that held him captive had left him alone for several days by now and Castiel slowly had the chance to recover.  
  
At least a little bit.  
  
The angel still felt terrible, though, but ever since he got himself trapped in this hellhole, he found his mind coherent enough to think clearly.  
  
Something had changed. His capturer had left him alone, not once coming back to drink. Castiel wasn’t naïve enough to believe that the being was dead... no, something kept him occupied and whatever...  
  
A terrible scream in an angel’s true voice vibrated through the building and for a moment Castiel froze, desperately denying that this could be true, that the one brother he thought he would never see again was here. But why would...  
  
"No..."  
  
Suddenly everything fell into place. His brother was here to help him. He had offered himself up as a substitute and now he was suffering for something that was entirely Castiel’s fault.  
  
His helplessness made him furious but Castiel knew all too well that he was far too weak to even attempt to move and so he did the only thing he could. He closed his eyes and prayed to his absent father for someone to come and save them. 


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all I'm terribly sorry for the horrendous delay but RL really has been a b**** lately.
> 
> Second I want to apologize in advance for every possible mistake I made. I never have been to Utah in my whole life, let alone the vicinity of Great Salt Lake. All information I used in my story are things I gathered through looking at google maps ;)

+++  
(5)

  
  
"No, Bobby. I'm sorry but we can't make a detour over Colorado to take care of a poltergeist. It would mean leaving Utah and leaving Utah means we’re losing too much time... It’s Cas, Bobby. We're on our way to help him and…"  
  
Dean threw a short glance at his brother’s face but Sam was completely engrossed in the task of tapping his fingers against the armrest of the passenger door in an useless attempt to keep calm while talking to their friend.  
  
"Right now we're on the I15. We'll be reaching Brigham City in less than fifteen minutes."  
  
A frustrated sigh escaped Sam’s lips and Dean couldn’t help himself but smirk at his brother’s obvious exasperation.  
  
"A few miles down State Route 83." Almost growling by now Sam tried to divert himself by flicking his fingertips against the dashboard. "I know it’s in the middle of nowhere but Crowley…"  
  
At this point Sam held his phone as far away from his ear as possible, grimacing at Bobby's colourful swearing. When it seemed as if the older hunter had finally calmed down enough to be reasonable again Sam resumed their discussion.  
  
"Of course we know that demons can't be trusted. But we…" Dean meaningfully cleared his throat and Sam quickly changed tracks, rolling his eyes in annoyance at his brother's petty behaviour. "Crowley and _I_ agreed on…"  
  
Again Sam whipped the phone aside to avoid getting deafened by Bobby’s rather violent ranting.  
  
"I didn't make a deal! I'm not stupid!"  
  
Dean coughed, pointedly ignoring the heated glare his brother send his way.  
  
"Listen, I’m calling you again as soon as we’re at the motel." Sam quickly snapped his phone shut, not caring that he basically interrupted Bobby mid-sentence.  
  
"Smooth, Sammy. Really smooth. Bobby will be pissed."  
  
"I _know_ that."  
  
"Then why... Shit!" Dean nearly swerved off the road when suddenly Crowley appeared in the rear-view mirror. Bringing the Impala to a screeching halt Dean slowly released the steering wheel.  
  
Still breathing in short hard gasps he finally turned around, eyes narrowed in anger. "What the hell are you thinking?! You could have killed us!"  
  
Crowley merely shrugged and deftly ignored the older Winchester. "Crocker Lake. Midnight."  
  
As unexpected as he had turned up the demon was gone again.  
  
"You know..." Dean stated flatly, determination the only emotion clearly visible in his voice. "One day I will find a way to get rid of this bastard. Permanently."  
  
Sam whole-heartedly agreed.  
  


+++

  
  
"Why the hell do we always end up in places like... _this_?"  
  
Dean turned around and with an extensive movement he gestured towards the dark and sinister looking trees circling the small lake in front of them.  
  
"Why can’t all those supernatural bastards once – _just once_ – choose a halfway decent place for their little games? Like Las Vegas or something."  
  
Sam snorted and plucked the shotgun from Dean’s hands. "Stop whining."  
  
"And thank you again for your heart-breaking support and undeniable concern. I appreciate it." Dean closed the trunk of his Impala with unnecessary force.  
  
"Quarrelling again, boys? It really warms my heart to see the Winchester brother’s fighting against each other instead of innocent little demons like me."  
  
The older Winchester narrowed his eyes and Sam quickly placed a hand on his brother’s arm, keeping him from lashing out.  
  
"We need him, Dean."  
  
"Yes, Dean. Listen to your brother. He’s got all the brains of the family after all." Crowley taunted the angry hunter and his smile was completely unamused, sharp teeth glinting in the pale moonlight.  
  
"You didn’t let me finish", Sam stated coldly. "We need him. For now."  
  
"How very threatening, Sammy. Can you see me shaking in my boots?" Without warning the demon lost all his playfulness and looked over the lake towards the trees. "We need to stay on this side of the water with the trees on the opposite side of the lake. They will anchor my sigils and help keeping the portal open. Hopefully long enough for you boys to do whatever you need to do and come back."  
  
Dean smiled humourlessly. "I take it you won’t come with us, then?"  
  
Crowley grimaced. "Do I look suicidal to you? I’m already doing far more than I ever agreed to. I don’t _have_ to do this!"  
  
"All right, all right. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. Geez."  
  
"You ungrateful, little..."  
  
"What do we have to do now?" Sam quickly interrupted before the situation could escalate even further. Crowley inhaled sharply and nodded once, signalling Sam that he was willing to continue.  
  
"I need your connection to the angel to make this work. I will draw onto the energy of your bond so don’t..."  
  
"Wow, wow, wow. Stop. What bond?" Dean sounded slightly panicked. "There’s no connection or bond or whatever shit you’re talking about!"  
  
For long seconds Crowley just stared at him incredulously before he threw back his head and... laughed. It was a rather scary sight and Sam and Dean changed confused glances until the demon finally got a grip on himself.  
  
"You really have no idea, don’t you?" Wheezing the demon leaned forward. "How can you... no. Don’t answer that. I know that you’re dense but this one really takes the cake."  
  
"That’s it." Dean pulled the demon killing knife from the scabbard hidden under his jacket and advanced the demon. Sam quickly stepped between them holding back his brother with more force than necessary.  
  
"We cannot effort to waste our time with this petty squabbling. Get a grip on your temper, Dean. Think about Cas and what it means to him when you throw away our only chance of helping him."  
  
The pain in Dean’s eyes told him everything he needed to know and Sam gently took the knife out of his hands. "Keep talking, Crowley. What do we need to do?"  
  
The demon inhaled sharply but Sam talked right over him: "And don’t tell me you don’t want to help us. You leave us stranded like this? I go straight to Bobby and tell him everything about your childish crush on him."  
  
"When Castiel raised you from perdition he patched up your soul with his grace." There wasn’t the slightest hint of Crowley’s emotions mirrored in his voice but both Winchesters knew, being this friendly and cooperative must have been killing him. Bobby really seemed to mean a lot to him. "It was the only way to keep the memories of hell at bay before you lost your mind completely. Those patches are the connection to him and I can use them to find him and open a portal to the pocket dimension he actually is imprisoned in. All you need to do is to concentrate on the bond between you and him and when we find him... well, you two go in, kill the culprit and save your angel."  
  
"Sounds good to me." Dean was ready to go. "Do it."  
  
"This will hurt." Crowley warned him, a cruel smile evident in his voice, before he started the incantation.  
  


+++

  
  
Power concentrated. Shifted. Changed. The ether reacted slowly at first then faster and faster and a single voice echoed through the grace of the youngest angel.  
  
 _Dean._  
  
Castiel felt the first stirrings of the warm-welcome presence of his charge in his battered grace and for the first time in what seemed an eternity he felt hope. It was short-lived, though, when reality came crashing down on him and Castiel scrambled to his feet, hands pressed against the wall.  
  
 _Don’t come here. It’s dangerous._  
  
It would kill him. This thing that kept him and Gabriel imprisoned would kill the only person Castiel ever felt connected to and there was nothing he could do to prevent it.  
  
 _Please. Go back._  
  
He was too weak. Castiel cursed his waning grace, his almost human body and it made him furious. Screaming he threw himself against the walls, over and over again until he was too exhausted to even stand straight any more. He knew that his tantrum most probably had attracted the attention of his capturer and Castiel felt sick about the implications of his reckless behaviour.  
  
 _Please, Dean. Don’t throw your life away. I’m not worth it._  
  
He should have refrained from reacting, should have blocked their connection. He should have done something, anything. But now it was too late.  
  
 _Stop._  
  
Stupid Winchesters and their hero complex. They would never leave Castiel behind not after they more or less officially had adopted him into their small circle of family. He should have known it.  
  
 _Please._  
  
There was no way for him to stop what was bound to happen soon. Silent tears were running down his face, blurring his vision. His heart was breaking and although he felt completely helpless there was one little thing he still could do for the human that so thoroughly had captured his heart.  
  
Castiel fell to his knees and prayed for a miracle.  
  


+++

  
  
"Do we have anything we can even remotely call a plan?" Sam checked his weapons for the thousandth time and threw Crowley a suspicious glance but the demon was completely absorbed in keeping the portal open. "We don’t even know what we’re dealing with."  
  
"Does it really matter?" Dean looked at his brother, pain clearly visible in his green eyes and for the first time in countless months Sam had the feeling that they finally had found a common ground again.  
  
The past minutes had been hard for Dean. Crowley had used all the energy he had to offer, almost draining him when he forced the ether to bend to his will but he succeeded and now there was a small portal in front of the lake.  
  
When Sam looked at the water he could only see darkness but Dean assured him that everything was all right. At least as far as Castiel was concerned. The angel really was on the other side of the portal. Dean could feel him, weak but still alive.  
  
"No. It doesn’t matter at all."  
  
Dean nodded sharply and both hunters turned around, determinedly making their way over to the small circle of stones where Crowley was awaiting them.  
  
"I hope your angel is clever enough to distract whatever is keeping him there. If not..." Crowley’s voice sounded strained, the power of the portal was now floating through his body and the Winchesters hoped that he was strong enough to keep it open. If Crowley failed... well, there was no need to talk about it. They would be stranded in another dimension and most likely get killed.  
  
But it was worth it. As Dean had said, Castiel was family and they never left family behind.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
Sam nodded and turned towards the portal. The darkness inside the small opening was twirling now, something akin to lightning flashing through the melee and for a short moment the younger Winchester felt slightly panicked but he quickly suppressed the feeling. It had to be done and he wouldn’t back down.  
  
One last shared look before he followed his brother into the darkness.


End file.
